Switching power supplies have been known. In particular, there are so-called buck converters, or step-down converters. So-called multi-phase buck converters have been known specifically for supplying CPUs on computer boards. Such multi-phase switching power supplies comprise circuit topologies wherein buck converter circuits are connected in parallel between the input and the load. Each of the n “phases” is switched on at uniformly spaced-apart intervals within a switching period. Such so-called multi-phase buck converters have been known, for example, from the specialist publication “Using Coupled Inductors to Enhance Transient Performance of Multi-Phase Buck Converters”, J. Li, et al., IBM Symposium, Sep. 14-15, 2004, pages 1-25.
In particular with switching power supplies that have to switch relatively high powers it is highly important with regard to electromagnetic compatibility, on the one hand, and with regard to power consumption and overall performance, i.e. also with regard to efficiency, on the other hand, to achieve a large degree of electromagnetic compatibility and high efficiency, or low power consumption. On account of the inherently transient processes occurring within switching power supplies it is highly important to think not only in terms of the output voltage, or the output current, but to consider also charge reversal processes and associated magnetic fields when designing the switching power supply as well as its components.